Military prison outside the city.
An Ying followed Guo Langzhong and hid in the side room arranged by Xiao Yi, and could clearly hear the sounds of the cell next to him.
It didn't take long before I heard Xiao Yi's voice.
"You are all done with the trial, so you can all be imprisoned together. The cells in the city government office can no longer accommodate you. All of you from Shuanglin Village are here, so we are reunited."
Mr. Guo smiled and said softly: "This Guard Yi is really good at talking."
An Ying nodded, but suddenly worried that the people nearby could hear the sound here, and made a gesture suddenly. Guo Langzhong smiled and stopped talking, signaling to the clerk next to him to prepare.
Sure enough, after Luo Youde entered, he said not long after: "I really didn't expect that, despite all the precautions, it was you two who broke the news in the end."
"Dad, I did everything, why bother involving other people. Are you blaming Mom again for the two of us?" Luo Qiaoniang has been locked up in advance.
"You are talented, I'm talking about you. The government found out that you took Lao Li and the others to buy those fabrics and jewelry, and then the Li family and the Yao family were involved. Now they are really reunited."
Before Luo Youcai could reply, Luo Youde said again: "Qiao Niang, this time you poisoned me again and implicated He Qing. Tell me why you did it, so that I can die easily. Everyone also Listen, no one will survive anyway, I just want to die with an understanding."
"Dad, I work alone and everyone is responsible. According to the law, our family and Uncle Li are just making private tea. They were forced to do it by He Qing. Our little sister was also held hostage by He Qing. Now that Su Qingtian is here, but If you go to the court, you can clarify the truth of the matter. If I poison, I will die alone."
An Ying felt that there was something wrong with Luo Qiaoniang's mind. She looked at Guo Langzhong in confusion and saw a strange expression on his face.
Just listen to Luo Youde's suppressed, painful and angry voice: "Who told you that everyone is responsible for the work? Smuggling tea, do you know that it is a crime to punish the three clans? Don't tell me that you are poisoning to expose what? clear?"
"Punish the three tribes? Dad, are you lying to me? Isn't it written in the Daqi Law that smuggling tea will lead to execution and accomplices to exile. Furthermore, if any repeat offender is coerced, his crime can be reduced to one to two degrees. If he is found guilty, he will be punished. , one more minute." Luo Qiaoniang's voice was much sharper, as if she was frightened and unbelievable.
"Who told you? Who told you?" Luo Youde's voice here was much louder, but it could be heard that he was at the end of his strength. After a few words, you could hear Luo Youde's broken cough. After a while, I heard Luo Youcai shouting again: "Here comes someone. My elder brother is vomiting blood. Is there a doctor?"
"What doctor do you want? Let me understand today, Qiao Niang, what's going on with you being so poisonous? Since that day you went home in a hurry, I didn't have time to say a word to you. Now all the things in the government We all know that we are bound to die, so just let me know it, okay?"
"Dad, did you know that He Qing gave his little sister to..." Luo Qiaoniang cried, "She was only thirteen years old at that time, still a child."
Woo hoo hoo, a woman's cry should be Luo Youde's wife, Luo Ding.
"Brother, He Qing is no better than a pig or a dog. Are we going to be controlled by him for several lifetimes? Starting from dad, to Qiao Niang, Ping Niang, and then to Brother Rong, now that the case has been revealed, He Qing will be dragged along with him to death. die."
"Shut up. If you hadn't been a good person, led Lao Li and the others to buy, and let the government find out the clues, they wouldn't have been dragged into the water. Originally it was our Luo family's business, and we were willing to risk our lives. Now the four More than a dozen people have been dragged into the water. You, you." Before Luo Youde finished speaking, a man's voice rang out: "Lao Luo, stop talking. This talented guy is also a good friend of ours, so he went to help us buy it. Marry a girl. , who wouldn’t be jealous of the eighteen dowries your girl got when she got married? How come you can show off your wealth, but we don’t allow it? You have a lot of wealth at home, you have to eat bran-thick vegetables, and you have to talk down to the vegetable vendors on the street, you Why don’t you think about whether we are willing or not?!”
Cough cough cough, after a while of coughing, Luo Youde said: "Did you know that over the years I have secretly transferred some money to Mingzhou Prefecture via the Zheng family tea shop."
As soon as these words came out, Guo Langzhong and An Ying looked at each other. The two of them listened patiently, only to hear Luo Youde continue: "I know that you have had a hard time in the past few years. I have to shoulder the responsibility of a few old brothers in everything. You are not allowed to do this or this. You guys have to work hard with me. You are not allowed to spend the money you get from making tea. You all know that it is a capital offense to engage in private tea. In the early years, you could tolerate it. In recent years, the children have grown up, and it is difficult for you to control them. Especially the elderly When the Yao family Chuntao got married, she obviously had a lot of money in the bottom of the box, but she met her husband's family who had no conscience. She even had her dowry swallowed and did not dare to redress. In the past few years, I have dealt with He Qing and transferred the money to Mingzhou Prefecture. I just want to lead everyone out of this trap and live a down-to-earth life from now on."
"Brother Luo, you didn't tell everyone, we don't know what you are doing?" A middle-aged man's voice sounded, and he could hear some regret.
"It's my fault too. I figure everything out on my own and don't tell you in detail. To be honest, sometimes when I talk to you a few more words, we get into arguments. I'm too lazy to say more. I think we'll move in a few years. If you go to Mingzhou Prefecture, you can go to sea if you have the chance. Unexpectedly, it was my Qiao Niang who broke the news first. Qiao Niang, since you grew up, our father and daughter have not had a few words to talk to each other. I also I don’t know what you are thinking? When He Qing forced me to marry you to the Zheng family, I was unwilling to do so. Zheng Ping is much older than you, and he is just filling out a house, so life is difficult. I have already thought about how to marry you. He Qing recommended this marriage, but you said you were willing and went to the tofu shop to let Zheng Ping see it. I can’t say anything. I really don’t understand your thoughts. Qiao Niang, my old father doesn’t have a lot of time. More, please tell me, and you will understand why you let me go. You poisoned him just to take revenge on He Qing? Where did you know about the punishments you just mentioned? "
"Dad!" Luo Qiaoniang cried loudly and said, "Dad, isn't what I said right? Will the government kill you all?"
"According to the law of Daqi, tea smuggling is a major evil and the principal culprit is to kill three tribes. The accomplices will be hanged. We, dozens of people, can be considered accomplices. Qiao Niang, can't you tell your father that things are like this?"
"Dad, I really didn't know this would happen. I've measured the amount of the poison, but it can't hurt anyone's life." Luo Qiaoniang said with a tearful voice: "And regarding the punishment, I looked up the Daqi Law."
A man's voice sounded from the side: "Qiao Niang, you don't know much about Chinese characters, how can you understand Daqilu? You and I went to the same village school. Although you are smarter than me, the few of us who can read just do it. When doing business, I keep an account book, but I can’t read even half a page of the law book.”
"I asked my husband some questions, and also asked Secretary Cheng of the government office who often comes to the tea house. He works as an errand in the government office of Huzhou and is most familiar with the Daqi Law. How could he make a mistake?" Luo Qiaoniang said.
"Let's put the punishment aside for now. I think there is something fishy about this matter. When the guards come over later, I will talk to the people in the capital about this matter. You, but you never discuss such a big matter with me, ahem, How did you do it alone? Ahem, why did you do this? Because of Ping Niang? Ahem, she was taken as a concubine by He Qing. Although we are not happy, we can tell it to our small farm family. Being a concubine of the Zhizhou family is not a sinful thing." Luo Youde coughed as he spoke.
"Dad, I have secretly met Ping Niang several times. Originally, I was thinking the same thing as you. We, a small peasant family, are the concubines of officials. It's okay to say that we have to be high-ranking. But that beast He Qing is not at all. Treat Piniang as a concubine, and every time merchants from the Xia Kingdom come, Pinniang must accompany her. Did you know that Piniang had a miscarriage a few days ago, and both you and your mother said it was because of the eldest wife's jealousy. But the servants of the He family told me , that’s because I don’t know whose child Piniang is carrying, so Mrs. Zhizhou didn’t let Pinang give birth.”
"This, this, how could this be happening? My poor concubine." Luo Ding cried hoarsely.
